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Idaho Brotherhood of Steel
The Idaho Brotherhood of Steel, also known as the Idaho Brotherhood and to fearful tribals as "The Crusade", are proud warriors who fight doggedly for control of Boise Wasteland. Having become even more feudal due to a highly twisted fundamentalist doctrine and a harsh environment, the Idaho Brotherhood are extremely active in the purging of mutant abominations and those who would pervert the knowledge of the ancients. They stand to defend knowledge, strength, and honor, to hold high all that is pure in humanity, and to burn all else. To this end, they have granted their "protection" to large settlements and have a presence in several smaller ones. Though considered harsh rulers, living under their banner is preferable to being beaten to death by Boise Boys or eaten alive by Boise Mutants and other wasteland creatures. History Arrival in Idaho (2111-2121) The Idaho Brotherhood was created when a Paladin by the name of Julian Rotter was exiled from the California Brotherhood in 2111. Julian was exiled for holding that the Brotherhood of Steel's mission would be better served if they tried to conquer various settlements, eventually taking over the whole nation of America, and make their will the law of the wasteland. The Brotherhood of Steel found Julian's "blatant imperialism", unsettling and ordered that he be exiled. However, the Elder council had little idea of just how much of a following Julian had. Thus, when he was exiled, Julian and a large group of over twenty followers stormed out of California with as much gear as they could carry and headed east. They braved the dangers of the Mojave Wasteland and eventually traveled as far as the ruins of Carson City. However, they had not found a suitable place to settle down. In Nevada, Julian heard of Boise, known as the "Jewel of Idaho" and said to be the largest city left in all the wasteland. By the time they arrived eleven years later the group had actually gained members from suitable recruits they had come across along the way. But much of the old group was dead, with only Julian and six others being the original members to make it to Idaho. From the Nevada-Idaho border, Julian and his followers traveled north until they found the fabled city of Boise. What they found was... less than preferable. First Steps (2121-2132) The first foray into Boise was a total disaster, over half of the expedition team died in the chaotic crossfire of the Boise Raider Gangs and the mutant horde. Julian himself had to engage in hand to hand combat with the enemy. It was only later in the outskirts of Boise that the expedition found the settlement of Gordentown. Built in a few short years after the bombs fell by the remains of National Guard troops and survivors who fled the mutants and the early beginnings of the Boise raider gangs, the settlement of Gordentown was reluctant to aid the Brotherhood, but in the end decided that they would save the first sane humans to come out of Boise since the bombs fell. This act was to be the township's last action as an independent settlement. Even with wounded and dead weighing them down, Julian's followers quickly overtook the town, and set themselves up as local dictators. With Gordentown conquered, Julian organized the beginnings of his new Brotherhood. Setting himself up as Elder, Julian oversaw the recruitment of new Initiates and the pacification of any dissident elements within the town. Thus, the Idaho Brotherhood was officially formed. Julian, now an old man, gave his famous speech, regained by the Scribes as the Steel and Blood speech, on the first year of his Brotherhood's occupation of Gordentown. He told his followers to focus on the creation of a power-base, to subjugate whatever wells of 'civilized humanity' they came across and 'enlighten' them to the urgency of the Brotherhoods mission. It was during that speech that a lone sniper, former Gordentown militia member named Peter Beck, fired on the frail Elder Julian from a window and scored a headshot, crippling the Elder and putting him near death. The vengeful Brotherhood killed twenty-seven Gordentown citizens before Beck was found and publicly executed by crucifixion. Elder Julian died in bed about a month later and as Julian willed, his rather slow, violent older son Boris Rotter was elected Elder. Steel and Blood (2132-2136) Soon enough, the resistance in Gordentown was stifled and the Brotherhood was on the warpath once more. Boris wanted to replicate his father's success in Gordentown throughout the wastes. The Idaho Brotherhood would go on to conquer a few other settlements in three short years under Boris, with his biggest conquest being the sizable and fortified settlement of Whistlers Grove. The Battle for Whistlers Grove would see to the untimely end of Elder Boris' life, as he was gunned down by a squad of fifteen town militia. His example of leading from the front and his legacy of quick militaristic expansion would be discarded by the next in line, Julian's frail and bookish younger daughter, Melony Rotter. Stability is Victory (2136-2157) Melony Rotter would not have become Elder had it not been Julian's dying wish that his children succeed him (and he not doubt meant Boris, not Melony, who he mostly ignored as a child). Many felt that Melony, a Scribe (and many secretly complained, a woman), would be ill-suited to lead the Brotherhood. However, Melony's intellect and regard for numbers proved to be just what the Brotherhood needed in the tumultuous times that followed its last leader's demise. Melony ushered in a new era, one of stability and research. She believed the Brotherhood should solidify its rule, clear out any loose ends such as raiders and dangerous wildlife, and create a stable, caravan based, economy. "Stability is Victory" was her rallying cry for his policies, albeit an unpopular one. Needless to say, though the Scribes thought very highly of Elder Melony and her wisdom, the Knights did not. Many of the fighters of the Idaho Brotherhood saw Melony as a weakling and coward, unwilling and unable to live up to her father and older brothers' legacies as grand conquerors. Regardless, Elder Melony ensured that the Brotherhood holdings remained stable and pandered to her citizens, earning their love if not the rest of the Brotherhood's. Boys will be Boys (2157-2189) Elder Melony's seventy-year reign was mostly marked by little in the way of an all-out war. Sure the occasional mutant den or raider group cropped up early in her rule but by the third year, such incidents became almost nonexistent in the Idaho Brotherhoods' immediate territory. It was only when the Boise Boys attacked in 2157 that the "Scribe Elder", had to truly dedicate her forces to a real war. The Boise Boys, led by their latest warlord, tore into the Brotherhood's territory in great numbers. Overnight several minor settlements were lost, burned to the ground by the savage raiders. Militiamen and Conscripts died in droves to defend Gordentown, and even Whistlers Grove, deep in the heart of the Brotherhood's fiefdom, would be besieged if decisive action was not taken. Elder Melony surprised her lieutenants with her tactical knowledge, deploying the Brotherhood's assets in one great push that would, over the course of a three-year-long war, send the Boise Boys back to the ruins from whence they came. The decisive blow came when a force of Paladins, accompanied by the Elder herself, ambushed and captured the leader of the Boise Boys and personally executed her before the entire population of embattled Gordentown. Since that war, known in the archives as the "Boise Boy Incursion", very few of the Brotherhood's military forces grumbled about Elder Melony's policies, though some hardliners still held that they should have gone on the offensive and wiped out the raiders at their source. To ensure that the Brotherhood had a safe place to train and store their technology, Elder Melony set out to construct a vast fortress outside Boise that she envisioned would rival Lost Hills: Fort Boise. Construction began in 2185 and continued for four more years. The project was almost completed when more pressing issues came up. Fort Boise would go unfinished for almost seventy years. Also, at this time Union Town rose from under Boise and its Wall was completed. The Brotherhood had kept tabs on the Wall's construction for quite some time, believing it to be some sort of new settlement they could easily conquer. They had even sent scouting parties to the construction site who had been repelled by mercenaries and security. But after Vault 4 population's emergence, Elder Melony sent the 8th Brigade to take the town and its technology for their own. This conflict, the 1st Brotherhood-Wall War, lasted most of the Brotherhood Civil War. Old Blood (2189) Towards the end of Elder Melony's reign, agents of the original Brotherhood showed up in Boise, with them an emissary from the High Elder in Lost Hills. The group made contact with forces of the Idaho Brotherhood garrisoned at Gordentown, and demanded to speak with the Elder. After a tense exchange, they were allowed inside. Gordentown was then the seat of the Brotherhoods' rule. It proved to be a poor place for the Western Brotherhood to make their demands. The Brotherhood Elders in Lost Hills demanded that the Idaho Brotherhood swear fealty to the High Elder, and essentially rejoin the Brotherhood proper. This would mean sharing their most advanced technological finds while surprisingly allowed them to keep their "little fiefdom". Though known for her reasonable and calm demeanor, Elder Melony proved too proud and refused the emissaries, telling them that she would answer to no fool bureaucrat from the south. Her refusal sparked what would become the First Brotherhood Civil War. Steel against Steel (2189-2196) The bloody war between the loyalist Brotherhood forces and the separatist Idaho Brotherhood raged on for seven years. Though the fighting was sporadic across the southern outskirts, it became abundantly clear that the Idaho Brotherhood had severely underestimated their enemy. The expedition sent from Lost Hills was mostly made up Paladins and Knights, led by Senior Paladin Avon Kane, as well as a Circle of Steel detachment. In the years following Julian's exile, the Idaho Brotherhood had scavenged quite a bit of technology but were still for the most part inferior to the original Brotherhood's tech. At first, Elder Melony attempted a policy of overwhelming the Brotherhood's expedition with sheer numbers, sending wave after wave of conscripts stiffened by Knights and Paladins to wipe them out. The loyalist Brotherhood's expedition proved more resilient than expected and dragged Melony into a war of attrition, penetrating the edges of the Idaho Brotherhood's fiefdom and killing tens of their enemies' "cannon fodder" troops in the process. While the main part of the loyalist expedition fought in the field, the Circle of Steel operatives attacked the Idaho Brotherhood's homefront, executing assassinations, sabotage, and theft. During the war, there were no less than five assassination attempts on Elder Melony and several successful ones on civilian and military officials within the Idaho Brotherhood of Steel. Soon the situation became so severe that the Brotherhood broke off their siege of Union Town to redirect the 8th Brigade. However, the loyalists' successes were not enough to triumph over the separatists. There just too few left of the expedition and the Boise area was just too treacherous to hold down. After seven years of bloody fighting, the loyalist expedition withdrew from Boise, leaving the bleeding Idaho Brotherhood behind to die. Elder Melony, now a scarred, haggard old woman with very little pride left, claimed victory over the loyalists, even though the war's end was pyrrhic at best. The Passing of the Torch (2196-2200) Elder Melony would die in her sleep only three months after the Idaho Brotherhood's "victory" over the loyalists and left no heir to succeed her (it rumored that she had been rendered infertile by radiation poisoning). A vote was cast by the Scribe Proctors and the Star Paladins, and a new Elder stepped forth, a highly decorated fighter of the order, Star Paladin Brutus Michalson. Brutus was one of the bitter few militarists who despised Elder Melony's policies and intended to live up to the legacy of the Brotherhood's founder, Julian Rotter. Within three years his swearing in, Elder Brutus mobilized the remaining armies of the Brotherhood that he had rebuilt himself. There would be no rest for Boise... Stagnation (2200-2256) Modern Brotherhood texts read that Elder Brutus led the Idaho Brotherhood for more than fifty years, expanding the Brotherhoods territory and strengthening its militant arm. However, little of actual substance happened during Brutus' reign as Elder, with the most of the Elder's lust for war being sated early in his reign. The rest of Elder Brutus' reign was mostly spent in Whistlers Grove, enjoying the local "delicacies". However, none of the Brotherhood protested this as Brutus was well liked, ruling with a fair hand before perishing at the beginning of the Boise War. Boise War (2256-2258) In 2256, the Brotherhood believed its forces were finally great enough to strike at the diseased heart of Boise and destroy the mutant horde for good. After Elder Brutus was convinced to act, the campaign began in earnest, and was actually quite successful in its early months. But Luther's Warhost, recent arrivals at this time, attacked the Brotherhood from its unguarded flank and took their forces entirely by surprise. The Brotherhood had never expected to be outflanked and were cut off. It was a testament to Elder Brutus's determination that Luther's Warhost was driven back, but a final assault by the Boise Mutant Horde, brought on by the delay the attack created, broke the back of the Brotherhood's forces. Elder Brutus was slain alongside the 3rd and 9th Brigades and left his successor and young nephew Conrad Michalson to become Elder. With the 3rd and 9th Brigades destroyed in the initial battles of the Boise War, the Brotherhood effectively fought on the defensive for rest of the war, hiding in their fortified towns and holes. Recent Times (2258-) It would be several more years before the Idaho Brotherhood could even remotely recover from the losses sustained during the Boise War, and under the energetic and war-hungry leadership of Elder Conrad, it would be a slow recovery indeed. Elder Conrad was often out in the field with a squad of Paladins, always in the thick of fighting mutants or raiders. This increase in Brotherhood patrols provoked the Boise Boys, and in 2265, they tried to attack Gordentown. The Brotherhood fought back and a two-year long war broke out. Under the leadership of Conrad, the Boise Boys were repulsed, and the Brotherhood emerged victoriously. However, there were some constructive actions by the Brotherhood at this time. An enterprising scribe was having a standard check through the scrolls from Elder Melony's tenure as Elder when he stumbled across something extraordinary: the designs plans for Fort Boise, whose construction was stalled during the First Brotherhood Civil War and had never resumed. The scribe brought these plans to the attention of Elder Conrad, back from a recent campaign. Conrad was at first skeptical but slowly became interested in renovating the fort. Something to rival even Lost Hills. Delegating the renovation of Fort Boise to the Scribes and giving them free reign over a hundred or so workers, Elder Conrad let them do their work. It turned out that Fort Boise was falling apart, decrepit, and needed to be given a stronger foundation. It took almost two decades to complete and even then, it still had structural problems. But the Brotherhood had made its choice and moved its main base to the new Fort Boise. In early 2268, a new foe, brandishing the bull insignia of Caesar's Legion, came over the horizon. At first, the Brotherhood mistook Legate Jigatahi's Legion as yet another tribe of driveling savages like the Boise Boys or Watershed Tribes. But when the Legion overran the settlement of Westfield in 2270, killing three Knights and the entire town militia, the Brotherhood immediately sent their reprisal. The entirety of the 1st Brigade, led by Star Paladin Buchanan, one of the most decorated field commanders of the Idaho Brotherhood, marched to meet the forces of the Legion. The climactic battle was eventually won for the Brotherhood, but narrowly so, and the Legion remains a dire threat, though they are preoccupied with the conquest of the various Watershed Tribes. Brotherhood assaults are common on the Legion's makeshift headquarters in the Golden Rivers campground. In the late 2270s, the Brotherhood also took note of the activities of the New California Merchant House and their distribution of weapons to other factions in the Boise Wasteland, counterproductive to the Brotherhood's ideology. In response, the Brotherhood has made a sport of attacking the Long Pine Trading Post, hoping to one day wipe it off the face of the earth. In 2281, a Brotherhood patrol disappeared within territory previously thought as "cleared" by the Brotherhood. This attracted Elder Conrad's attention, and he sent Scribes to seach the area for suspicious activity. After a week of observations, the Scribes found the culprits behind the massacre: a group of xenophobes holed up in a bunker underneath Boise. Unable to appreciate the irony of the situation, Elder Conrad decided to send the 4th Brigade, led by Star Paladin Hawthorne, to take out the bunker dwellers. The attack was bloody but ultimately successful. The bunker was looted of all available tech and was occupied by a small Brotherhood squad, to prevent squatters or mutants from taking it. Also, around this time, the Brotherhood besieged Union Town, starting the 2nd Brotherhood-Wall War. Currently, the Idaho Brotherhood of Steel remains resolute, watchful of the Boise Mutant Horde, Legate Jigitahi's Legion, and the various Boise raider gangs. However, Brotherhood scouts have also been watching the skies of late, as they have begun to see the Perpetuals patrolling with their vertibirds. Brotherhood and Enclave patrols have even clashed occasionally, but none of these skirmishes have been of much consequence. For the most part, the Enclave is still unknown to this branch of the Brotherhood of Steel. Government The Idaho Brotherhood of Steel's military operates as an order, similar to the other Brotherhood chapter. However, the Brotherhood's empire is run through a feudal setup. Each Brotherhood controlled town has an Elder-appointed governor who oversees the affairs of the settlement, holding sway over any locally elected officials (mayors/conscripts) overseeing the town's affairs. In return for protection from the Brotherhood and his position, the governor provides conscripts in times of war and pays taxes. Weapons/Technology Being descended from the Brotherhood and holding true to their goal of technological preservation, the Idaho Brotherhood of Steel has gathered a considerable arsenal. Vehicles The Idaho Brotherhood of Steel have for years been attempting to restore a variety of pre-war vehicles, mostly military Hummers and a handful of APCs. Most of these attempted repairs have failed but a few have succeeded, aiding the Brotherhood in patrolling their meager fiefdom. T-45d Power Armor Considerably more common amongst the Idaho Brotherhood's ranks than the T-51b, the T-45d is inferior to the T-51b but provides greater protection than any other available armor in the wasteland. T-51b Power Armor Though the staple for their former brothers out west, the Idaho Brotherhood have lost all but five of the original suits they left Lost Hills with and now rely on the inferior T-45d. Only the most seasoned veterans or high ranking members of the Idaho Brotherhood have a suit of T-51b Power Armor. Energy Weapons The Idaho Brotherhood's power base has left them with enough manpower to scour the Idaho Wasteland, but have only come across a few pre-war energy weapon weapons. These powerful weapons are usually far and few between. The only energy weapons currently owned by the Brotherhood are the Laser Rifle and Tri-Beam Laser Rifle. Conventional Weapons As with any group, the Idaho Brotherhood will not turn down a working gun, even if it is considered low tech. Many of these involve heavy weaponry such as Miniguns (normal and shoulder mounted) and Missile Launchers. However other weapons such as Combat Shotguns and Assault Rifles are just as common. Some members prefer to have a powerful Magnum or Sawn-Off shotgun as a sidearm. Melee Weapons The Idaho Brotherhood are noted as more zealous and battle-hungry than their eastern and western cousins, and often use the advantage of the increased strength and durability of Power Armor in hand to hand combat. The Power Fist is the most preferred melee weapon, but combat knives and the occasional Super Sledge are also weapons in the Idaho Brotherhood's arsenal. Some members even prefer a simple Industrial Chain or forge their own blades in the Idaho Brotherhood's impromptu forge at Gordentown or Fort Boise. Tactics/Interactions The Idaho Brotherhood is an odd blend of the Western and Midwestern Brotherhoods. They are hardly the benevolent warriors Lyon's Brotherhood strove to be and their goal of tech-gathering has fallen by the wayside with the issues of defending their empire, similar to the Midwestern Brotherhood. Considered iron-fisted despots by most, including some of their civilian charges, (though never openly called such) the Idaho Brotherhood sees its small fiefdom as a pool of resources that will aid them in their quest to find and preserve humanities Pre-War glory. The Brotherhood treat their civilians as raw resources and nothing more, they contribute one of three things, labor, cannon fodder, or if they are a cut above the rest, recruits. In spite of this, the people of the Brotherhood' small empire accept their rule as a necessary evil, as it is either payed labor and patrols in the militia, or being prey for raiders and mutants. This is not always true though since there have been more than one rebellion against Brotherhood, though all have been quashed. Though generally belligerent and rude to outsiders, they are rarely hostile without cause, and allow travelers and merchants to come and go as they please. This is if they hand over any Pre-War tech they may have and observe their weapon laws within their settlements. The Idaho Brotherhood prefer swift and open confrontation of their enemies more than the more cautious West Coast Brotherhood, and fight with a tenacity that only comes from having an army of conscripts and elite soldiers of the Brotherhood at their beck and call. Once war is declared, the Idaho Brotherhood refuses to negotiate, and will not stop until their enemy is completely and utterly defeated, a policy that failed spectacularly twice in their history (the First Brotherhood Civil War and the Boise War). This love of open confrontation is one of the Idaho Brotherhood greatest strengths but is also its greatest weakness. Ranking The Idaho Brotherhood follows a similar ranking system to the East Coast Brotherhood, with a few differences of their own: Militia Technically the Militia are not under the Brotherhoods direct jurisdiction, but are nonetheless considered an armed force of their small empire. Militia are the local defenders of the various settlements the Brotherhood controls within the southern outskirts of Boise. They are usually controlled, raised, and armed by the local administration of the settlement. Though they vary in size and ability based on the wealth and power of their hometown, they are invariably self-trained and armed, with little formal training and rarely any uniform. The best of their ranks usually end up either conscripts or, if they are truly exceptional, initiates. Conscript The lowest members in the Brotherhoods military hierarchy, Conscripts are militiamen and women taken pressed into service as cannon fodder for the Brotherhood. Conscripts are not true members of the order, but are instead cannon fodder taken from the various settlements the Brotherhood controls. They are the most numerous fighters and are generally lightly trained and armed, lacking in any heavy firepower or armor. However, they are competent combatants, and can hold their own against small raider groups and mutant packs. When it comes to heavy combat, their true advantage is numbers, other than that, however, they are rather unimpressive fighters. Conscripts are often resentful of their position, having most likely been press-ganged into the Conscripts due to a debt or simple bad luck. Some Conscript commanders are, in fact, more experienced and deadly that Brotherhood initiates, though. Initiate Initiates are the raw recruits of the Brotherhood, and though they are only prospective members, they far outrank any conscript or militia fighter in official rank if not actual experience. Though generally unskilled by the standards of the Brotherhood of Steel, they are only accepted by the merit of their abilities when compared to other recruits, and are only made into official initiates following a harsh selection program which weeds out any potential weak links. In short, while Initiates may lack in experience, they make up for it in raw skill and dedication to the Brotherhoods cause. Initiates may be accepted either into the main fighting force as Squires, or into the ranks of the Scribes as an Attendant. Squire The lowest rank of the Brotherhoods armed forces, Squires are one rank below the Knights, somewhat equivalent to a Private in the now defunct U.S. Army. They have proven themselves worthy of donning Power Armor and being armed with powerful conventional weapons, but lack the experience and skill of a more veteran Knight or Paladin. Regardless of their headstrong demeanor and general lack of skill, a lone Squire can be a very dangerous opponent. The fact that Squires are often grouped in squads of four and usually support the more skilled Knights make them an all the more fearsome foe. Knight The backbone of the Idaho Brotherhoods armed forces, the Knights are skilled and exceptionally brave warriors, whose weapons and armor make them quite possibly one of the most deadly fighters of the Idaho Wasteland. Though not as mighty as the vaunted Paladins, Knights are nonetheless powerful enough to deal with mutant and raider assaults. Star Knight The leader of any given squad of Knights and responsible for the group of Squires attached to his squad, the Star Knight is a paragon of the Brotherhoods soldiery. Tenacious, loyal, and skilled in combat, Star Knights lead their Brothers from the front-lines, and see that the Elder's will is done with ruthless efficiency. Paladin Elite warriors and field commanders, the Paladins of the Idaho Brotherhood, are some of the finest fighters and wielders of advanced weaponry the Idaho Wasteland have ever seen. Paladins only reach their vaunted rank through valor and merit alone, and have usually survived countless battles beforehand to get to where they are now. Though usually seen alone or leading a large force of Knights, Paladins will sometimes form into elite kill-teams under a Star Paladin. Star Paladin Emissaries of the Elder and his chosen lieutenants, the Star Paladins are usually found behind the front lines, directing the battles of the Brotherhood on a larger scale than the Star Knights and their Paladin superiors. They are able tacticians and deadly warriors, though they themselves rarely see action due to their lofty position. Generally, a Star Paladin is only seen on the field when the Brotherhoods hold on an entire theater of war is threatened, and their direct action is needed to secure victory in battle. Attendant Attendants are the novices of the Scribe Orders, freshly promoted from the rank of initiate and enrolled into the Scribes for their exceptional skill or intelligence. Unlike the much more common Squires, Attendants are a rare breed in these dark times, intellectuals and scholars who possess a considerable amount of potential and care. Attendants usually act as their namesake would infer, often providing Scribes with the raw materials and services they need to carry out their work. Scribe The brains behind the Knights brawn, the Scribes are essential to the Brotherhoods mission of recovering, preserving, and innovating Pre-War technology. Each Scribe is a person of considerable intellect and skill, and they must hold a great reverence for all advanced technology. They are responsible for not only the maintenance and creation of the Brotherhoods arms, but are also key research and development personnel, enhancing and improving on ancient weapons and armors to give the Idaho Brotherhood its edge over all other factions in the Idaho Wasteland. Scribe Major The lead researcher for any group of four to six Scribes, Scribe Majors lead and direct particular research projects or handle particularly advanced technologies on their own. A Scribe Major is also a form of field commander for any group of Scribes operating from the main body of the Brotherhood, and usually, confers with his assigned Star Knight on any issues that may cross their interests. (such as the protection of a particular piece of Pre-War technology or location that is currently under study) Proctor The head of any of the three orders of the Scribes (Shield, Sword, and Quill respectively) the Proctor is responsible for all the developments made by their assigned order. The Proctors have a great hand in deciding the approval of various expedition and research projects, and therefore greatly affect both deployments of personnel and the technological advancements made by the Brotherhood. Each of the three Proctors confer with the Elder on a regular basis to give status reports on the developments of the various projects and quotas of their orders. Elder The leader of the Idaho Brotherhood and figurehead of their organization, the Elder must be both a tactician of great skill and a mind of astounding scientific intellect. The Elder must lead the Brotherhood not only in the deployment of armed forces and the preservation/development of Pre-War technology, but also concern himself with the day to day matters of keeping the Idaho Brotherhoods small fiefdom from falling apart at the hands of savages and usurpers. The current Elder, Elder Conrad, is the youngest ever to hold the office in the Idaho Brotherhood, and was a very controversial choice. However, he has shown the tenacity and intelligence to lead the Brotherhood, though his brashness and hunger for glory can cloud his judgment. Military Being essentially a Quasi-Religious Paramilitary society that rules an area as a dictatorship, the whole of the Brotherhood is both the military and governing body of the Idaho Brotherhood of Steel. Thus it is not simply that the Brotherhood has a military, the Brotherhood is the military. The Idaho Brotherhoods armed forces are split into large, platoon sized units known as Brigades, each led by a Star Paladin. 1st Brigade One of the most decorated Brigades, the 1st Brigade, commanded by the famous Star Paladin Buchanan, is the oldest and most battle-hardened of all the Brotherhood's armed forces. Having a reputation for stalwart resolve that is impressive even by the Brotherhoods zealous standards, the 1st Brigade is considered the Elder's own mailed fist with which to crush the enemy and dissent within the Brotherhood itself. 2nd Brigade Led by the eccentric Star Paladin Hagard and famous for their victory against the Boise Boys during the Boise War, the 2nd Brigade have earned a name for themselves as some of the best heavy weapons specialists in the Idaho Brotherhood. They are currently tasked with besieging the New California Merchant House, hoping to taking the Californians weapons after they defeat them. 3rd Brigade Once known as second only to the vaunted 1st Brigade, the 3rd Brigade were all but wiped out during the Boise War when Luther's Warhost struck, and carry the shame of being those assigned with the protection of the Brotherhood's forward base when Elder Brutus was killed. Disgraced and in tatters, the 3rd Brigade was retired, never to be revived, the survivors either leaving in self-imposed exile or being folded discretely into the other Brigades. Their former commander, Star Paladin Ross, is rumored to still be fighting in the heart of Boise unarmored in a suicidal attempt to redeem himself and his men for their failure. 4th Brigade Raised during the events of the First Brotherhood Civil War, and led by the fanatic Star Paladin Hawthorne, the 4th Brigade are renowned for their fervor and near religious zeal. It is no surprise that they are home to the finest hand to hand fighters of the Idaho Brotherhoods rank and file. The 4th Brigade prefers fighting mutants and raiders, who also have a preference for melee weapons. 5th Brigade All but destroyed in a savage battle against the Boise Boys, the 5th Brigade is currently in a state of reconstruction, with most of its ranks made up of Initiates and Squires. Their commander, Star Paladin Carson, is an aged and stern tactician, and is generally cited by the veteran forces of the 5th Brigade as the sole reason they survived the battle that claimed most of their comrades' lives. 6th Brigade The 6th Brigade, under the leadership of the young Star Paladin Hale, scored a series of victories against the forces of Jigatahi's Legion only to be dealt a humiliating blow during the infamous Battle of Three Pines. Though not in a state of rebuilding or shame like the 5th or 3rd Brigades, they are held with an unfair air of incompetence by their comrades. They have become home to many rejects and misfits of the Brotherhoods armed forces. But regardless they are a formidable force, and all to eager to redeem themselves, seeking to fight another battle against Jigatahi. 7th Brigade Currently embroiled in a brutal war against the Wall and a minor conflict against the Children of Spud, the 7th Brigade is known for their sadistic streak that seems brought on by their current leader, Star Paladin Malkovitch. They are specialists in the use of crude pyrotechnics, and the Brotherhood's foremost experts in psychological warfare. They have an extremely bad reputation with wastelanders inside and outside of the Brotherhood's empire. 8th Brigade The 8th Brigade and its commander, Star Paladin Gregory, were given the unofficial honor of being the Idaho Brotherhoods' finest demolition experts during their several year long Siege of Union Town. The 8th Brigade is also known for being extremely callous when it comes to civilian casualties. Currently, the 8th Brigade is focused on finding the source of the FEV infection inside Boise and destroying it. 9th Brigade Once an insignificant chapter made up of mostly initiates and a few Paladins, the 9th Brigade was wiped out to a man during the Boise War by the might of the Boise Mutant Horde. The legend of the 9th Brigade lives on in the few radio transmissions made by the last of their forces during their famous last stand at Park Square alongside Elder Brutus. Their commander, Star Paladin Fletcher, is famous for coining the phrase, "Steel within! Steel without!" during the final battle against the mutant horde. What is not known by most members of the Brotherhood is almost a third of the 9th Brigade fled the battle and deserted, only to be hunted down and killed by their former brothers. Culture The Idaho Brotherhood honor martial might and duty above all other things, and those who cannot fight, must work for the benefit of the Brotherhood one way or another. To the civilians under their control, the Idaho Brotherhoods despotic regime is harsh and unyielding. To those in the Brotherhoods ranks, their way of life is the best and only way if mankind is to survive and eventually prosper. The weak must serve the strong, the dumb serve the intelligent, the primitive serve the advanced. All others must obey their doctrine... or die. Quotes By About Category:Groups Category:Brotherhood of Steel Category:Idaho